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If you could change one rule at ZAPATA H S, what would it be?
Community prompt from u/allk12. Replies below.
Enrollment
1,065
High
DISTRICT 548 · STATE 796
SCHOOL COMMUNITY·ZAPATA COUNTY ISD·NCES 484671005351
Zapata High School
2009 STATE HWY 16, ZAPATA, TX 78076 · (956) 765-0280 · Zapata County
GRADES 09–12HIGH41-RURALTITLE IREGULAR SCHOOL1,065 STUDENTS
Student : Teacher
14.8:1
72 FTE teachers
DISTRICT 13.2:1 · STATE 15.1:1
Free / Reduced Lunch
89%
943 students
DISTRICT 89% · STATE 65%
Community
1
0 members
Enrollment and student:teacher ratio compared against other high schools. Free/Reduced Lunch and demographics compared against all schools.
Enrollment by grade, 2024-25
| Grade | Students | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | 253 | 24% |
| Grade 10 | 275 | 26% |
| Grade 11 | 281 | 26% |
| Grade 12 | 256 | 24% |
Student demographics
1%Diversity index
The chance that two students picked at random belong to different racial or ethnic groups.
DISTRICT 1% · STATE 63% · US 70%
Student head counts by race/ethnicity from federal NCES enrollment data. District, state, and US figures are each group's share of all public school students in that area (US excludes territories). Very small groups may be suppressed in the source, so categories do not always sum exactly to total enrollment.
Gender split
School pathway
Feeds from
Based on grade levels within ZAPATA COUNTY ISD. Attendance zones can vary; confirm enrollment with the district.
Test scores
STAAR 2025-26 . % Meets Grade Level or AboveReading
46.0%
TX avg 54.5% . +28.0pp since 2020
Mathematics
58.0%
TX avg 45.3% . +33.0pp since 2020
What this means: On the STAAR, Texas's statewide test, about 46 of every 100 students at this school read at grade level and about 58 of 100 do math at grade level. Across all Texas schools, those numbers are about 55 and 45. Reading scores are up about 28 points since 2020, while math scores are up about 33 points.
Performance levels, 2025-26
| Subject | Masters Grade Level | Meets Grade Level | Approaches Grade Level | Did Not Meet Grade Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reading | 6.0% | 40.0% | 27.0% | 27.0% |
| Mathematics | 39.0% | 19.0% | 31.0% | 11.0% |
Share of tested students at each STAAR level. Each student counts in one level, so a row adds to about 100%.
STAAR results by year
| School year | Reading | Mathematics |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 46.0% | 58.0% |
| 2024-25 | 35.0% | 51.0% |
| 2023-24 | 40.0% | 43.0% |
| 2022-23 | 23.0% | 33.0% |
| 2021-22 | 20.0% | 26.0% |
| 2020-21 | 18.0% | 25.0% |
% Meets Grade Level or Above, all students and all tested grades.
Source: STAAR. All students, all grades. See all years and grades →
BeatsExpectations
Demographically-adjusted score · methodologyTier
AS EXPECTED
Performing as predicted given the school's student profile
Actual proficiency
48.4%
composite math + reading, all grades
Predicted
35.9%
based on TX schools with similar FRL share
Beats by
+12.5pp
above demographic expectation
What this means: About 48% of students here test proficient in math and reading, compared with the roughly 36% typical for Texas schools with a similar share of low-income students. BeatsExpectations measures results against demographically similar schools rather than by raw scores, and this school falls within the typical range, neither among Texas's top nor bottom 10%.
BeatsExpectations runs a per-state regression of proficiency on free/reduced-lunch share, then scores each school by residual. How this is calculated →
Where Zapata High School ranks
Among high schools| Measure | This school | In Texas |
|---|---|---|
| State test proficiency ranked highest first | 48.4% | #877 of 1,385 |
| Math proficiency ranked highest first | 58.0% | #357 of 1,425 |
| Reading proficiency ranked highest first | 46.0% | #1,097 of 1,425 |
| 3-year test score change ranked biggest gain first | +24.0pp | #294 of 1,184 |
| Enrollment ranked largest first | 1,065 | #560 of 2,107 |
| Students per teacher ranked fewest first | 14.8:1 | #706 of 1,344 |
| Diversity index ranked most diverse first | 1.5% | #1,317 of 1,346 |
| Free and reduced lunch ranked highest share first | 88.5% | #224 of 1,522 |
| Enrollment change since 2017-18 ranked fastest growth first | +15.4% | #272 of 672 |
Ranked against other public high schools. Online schools are left out of every list, and test-score lists leave out schools that serve specialized populations. Each rank links to the full list.
4-year change
SY 2020-21 vs SY 2024-25Enrollment
1,065
+84 (+9%) vs 2020
+71% since 1990-91, when it was 622
Student : Teacher
14.8:1
was 14.6:1
Source: NCES Common Core of Data
Enrollment and staffing by year
| School year | Students | Teachers (FTE) | Students per teacher | Free and reduced lunch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 1,065 | 71.8 | 14.8:1 | 89% (943) |
| 2023-24 | 1,068 | 71.2 | 15.0:1 | 88% (939) |
| 2022-23 | 1,034 | 72.5 | 14.3:1 | 87% (896) |
| 2020-21 | 981 | 67 | 14.6:1 | 87% (854) |
| 2017-18 | 923 | 60.4 | 15.3:1 | 81% (748) |
| 2015-16 | 987 | 64 | 15.4:1 | 80% (787) |
| 2010-11 | 961 | 70 | 13.7:1 | 74% (708) |
| 2000-01 | 790 | 66 | 12.0:1 | 81% (642) |
| 1990-91 | 622 | 36 | 17.3:1 | N/A |
Source: NCES Common Core of Data. Rows are the federal collections on file for Zapata High School.
About Zapata High School
Zapata High School is a medium-sized high school based in ZAPATA, Texas. Students in grades 9 through 12 attend the school, which enrolls 1,065 students. The average among high schools in Texas is roughly 796 students; this school is 34% larger than that.
ZAPATA COUNTY ISD has 3,290 students spread across 6 schools.
Most students at Zapata High School are Hispanic: 99% of enrollment. Zapata High School has a diversity index of 1%, compared with 70% for all US public school students.
Teachers at Zapata High School total 71.8 full-time equivalents, and the ratio is 14.8:1. High schools in Texas have a similar average ratio of 15.1:1. Federal records put free or reduced-price lunch eligibility at 89%. That is close to the 89% average for public schools in Zapata County.
Test results at Zapata High School are 12.5 points above what its free or reduced-price lunch share predicts (48.4% actual, 35.9% predicted).
Census Bureau estimates for Zapata County show that median household income is about $39,239, 15% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about 36% of residents live below the federal poverty line. A total of 6 public schools operate in Zapata County, serving about 3,290 students.
The closest public school, Fidel and Andrea R Villarreal Elementary School, is about 1.0 miles from Zapata High School. Around the school, 4 other public schools are within five miles. Among the 8 closest schools with test data, this one included, Zapata High School ranks 3rd on average proficiency.
Its location is classified as Rural: Fringe by the National Center for Education Statistics.
The student count in 2024-25 was 1,065, 9% above the 981 of 2020-21.
Community posts for Zapata High School can cover sports schedules, lunch menus, and spirit week. Alumni can share how the school prepared them.
Zapata County at a glance
View full county profilePopulation
13,841
Census ACS
Median income
$39,239
Household, ACS
Bachelor's+
15%
Adults 25+
Poverty rate
36%
Below federal line
Schools in county
6
3,290 students
Quick facts
Related schools
Other schools in ZAPATA COUNTY ISD
- Zapata Middle SchoolMiddle · 730 students
- Zapata North Elementary SchoolElementary · 571 students
- Fidel and Andrea R Villarreal Elementary SchoolElementary · 445 students
- Zapata South Elementary SchoolElementary · 428 students
- Benavides Elementary SchoolElementary · 51 students
Other schools in ZAPATA
- Zapata Middle SchoolMiddle · 730 students
- Zapata North Elementary SchoolElementary · 571 students
- Fidel and Andrea R Villarreal Elementary SchoolElementary · 445 students
- Zapata South Elementary SchoolElementary · 428 students
Nearby schools
- Fidel and Andrea R Villarreal Elementary School1.0 mi · 445
- Zapata Middle School1.5 mi · 730
- Zapata North Elementary School1.7 mi · 571
- Zapata South Elementary School1.7 mi · 428
- Benavides Elementary School14.3 mi · 51
- Kennedy Zapata Elementary School31.8 mi · 336
Frequently asked questions
About Zapata High SchoolHow large is Zapata High School?
Zapata High School enrolls approximately 1,065 students in grades 09-12.
Is Zapata High School an elementary, middle, or high school?
Zapata High School is a high school covering grades 09-12.
How many students per teacher at Zapata High School?
Approximately 14.8:1 students per teacher at Zapata High School.
What is the racial breakdown of students at Zapata High School?
At Zapata High School, the student body is approximately 1% White, 99% Hispanic, 0% Asian.
What district is Zapata High School in?
Zapata High School is part of ZAPATA COUNTY ISD.
Data sourceSchool profile facts are sourced from the NCES. Community content is posted by allk12 members.